Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1887-12-01
LOST IN THE FIRE.
ny MRS. H. NJ. MILLER.

nv MRS. II. NJ. MILLER
aod, bow can live and the city
~! nYo proaned Mr.. Lord, turning
. .,isrtiy upon his pillow.
s s,,' roa are insured, " laid his wife,
D4, a.ie face, "you will OF lose every
.7,t the Office ] care for answered
for5 Obut a package of papers, very
,'Ie iptrusted to my care" and he
tS e-tD won't % the safe protect them?"
a Mrs. Lord eagerly.
Tbafs the worst of it," said Mr.. Lord,
-oice husky with emotion. "They
-' AM he in the safe, but my half-dazed
an tbe lay was taken ill, neglect
u mt them there; they are in my
and the only comfort l have had
~ could think was that it has a good
and have the key-but now"
l,1 tbey so very valuable, them"
n rtscious that if they are burned |
be disgraced it will be dishonor
am unable to produce them. 1t Is
,,5opable that | should not have
nd them; it will kill me. ! feel that
,nl Oh! if [ could only move! or Her
gue here"
CBt ] do something!" eagerly asked
wife.
yo indeed! From what Mr.. Brown
ma the streets are filed with q mob;
ajy would be safe IL them for an in
M She would be robbed, If not
ss. Herbert might perhaps find a
10 get them, and TO save his fathers
non II not also his life. I'm sure he
Liza. 0, how can I 1--we and let them
1m
listening breathlessly with white face
| Nh, talk, stood Grace Lord, who was
! !. entering the room when her father
oke. A thought had crossed her mind,
plan had grown IN thsse Few
,onds
| NWhy can't 7 save those papers?n vas
thought, and II will" was the conclu-
tl as her father ended,
Softly tuning away from the open
O,i :he stole back mp stairs to her
ton.
| i can 90 as well as Bert, :" she whisper
oherself. 81 know where paya keeps
keys, and know just where his desk
% The office. l can run down there be-
h mamma misses me, and how happy
pa will be. He said the streets were
safe, was the next thought, "but he
ID a boy could go. I'll put on Bert's
flashed into her mind.
Without stopping to think more about
| She ran into her brothers room, found
o1grown suit in the closet, slipded off
outer garments, and put on those,
patched last years hat from q shelf,
ID waiting only to get her fathers keys
/ Of pocket in his clothes which hung
/ ball closet, she opened the street
POI and was gone. 1t was noble and
Enefous impulse, but it was a fearful
Ping to DO,
Ilis happened in Chicago, during the
hols hfe thatburued thar city seventeen
"s age 1t was early on Monday morn
: the South Side was already a roar
= Ilinace, and the North Side, in which
STORY Hes, was even then on fire.
Wien Grace turned the corner into
yea used street, she was appalled,, and
az instant turned back. 1t was filled
% 2 crowd Of the people hurrying by,
rear, horror and other strange pas
,s 10 taer faces, Some were loaded
l household goods or treasures they
gso 10 ave others carrying screaming
1ss' or dragging children too fright.
q 10 run and now and then two or
y holding between them one too i'll to
,-s a y was terrible sight, a whole
4!las for life, and a girl alone, how
Oia'e' might we'll be alarmed.
va only for a moment, however.
~ 'aought of her father, and plunged
y me street. The Office was not more
y na.i a mile, and her feet fairly flew
-o1sn everybody else was going the
~ way and she had to dodge between
1s ana horses and loaos of all sorts.
was well she had not lar to 90, for
/. ,.'l vas Just bursting into flame as
r.. 'fgLea the door with her fathers
49,. ~ ms desk easily yielded to the
e., 80. Asy she knew so we'll, and among
s,4r.. a11 papers laid a package she
/. . .-0,l-ts!y knew was the precious one.
,''.s'4liJ tied and sealed, so out of
y looked there.
So. .,-s seized 1T, and started ont. care.
h. ..ossiag the desk and putting the
N. .. -l lg' pocket, when the thought
ga mere could she hide the pack
tlFs. ~. y; would say, in the inner breast
l.. q. y. 'ue vest. But there was no
In Z! rate Grace had none, and in
J. g. we're an unknown nv sterv 70
ls,-.s ..n'Ought an instant, then quiet
4 t ~ /, Gown the back OF her neck
~ g'oihes. the waistbaud was
al aer, and she felt sure il was
- ',4''ily ran into the street
y = mad changed CREATE even in
81 IA. minutes. The tan blocks on
81 $500 w me street were on fre
b ,5f ~ eng al the corner had fallen
p u. ~ I'm neg return that way, while the
Il, ~. =" Of smoke and cipders ana
J. I. -, .sariy sufTocated her. Instead
rs,7 o ..,t : q 'ae had seen it was deserte5,
q 5slsss aa led for his life. smotbeT,
-s-s.s.,. frightened, Grace turned 10
q "a away from home.
y Is. w only way she could 60. a.
. .oa,-- ,ii she found found herself
seu1s a-one but one small atom of
~, s, -a'S Of people. To turn III
~ fs,i ,S4ia have been like irving to
as, ssg In, III, !. rushing river. ana basides
Y cs.ris5 .hlek smoke and Ere. She
9, t1t a. ~i'a the crowd, bewildered
q M. 4 mat awful moment filed
NJ srs ~ . az mad her fathers paners
''l'iss 5s, -,.a'eaed on with rapid stride,
ne multitude OF bona